Location/Size
Macquarie Island is located in the southwest Pacific ocean around halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. The island is sub antarctic and has an area of 128 square kilometers is 35km long and 5 km wide at it's widest point. It is on an exposed point of the Macquarie ridge and sits on where the Australian tectonic plate meets the Pacific plate meaning it was a very important geological site so it was made a Royal Heritage site in 1997. The highest point on Macquarie island the Fletcher and Hamilton Mountains which are both 410 meters high. Although scientists live there to do their research there is no current permanent inhabitants or population on Macquarie Island. Even though Macquarie Island is small it has a very important role to play in the environment of the Southern and southwest Pacific oceans for it provides a breeding and resting place for animals in that area along with providing exceptional research from the researchers there.